I think I'm a part of the first generation of journalists to skip print media entirely, and I've learned a lot these last few years at Forbes. My work has appeared on TVOvermind, IGN, and most importantly, a segment on The Colbert Report at one point. Feel free to follow me on Twitter or on Facebook, write me on Facebook or just email at paultassi(at)gmail(dot)com. I'm also almost finished with my sci-fi novel series, The Earthborn Trilogy.

NRA Press Conference: Blame Video Games and Movies, Not Guns

The NRA just wrapped up a long-awaited press conference to address the recent tragedy at Sandy Hook. The event was hyped as containing a major announcement for the organization which has come under fire for its agenda as the number and severity of mass shootings continues to rise in America.

So, what would the big announcement be? Would they finally be willing to admit that assault weapons aren’t necessary for hunting? That people don’t need extended magazines in rifles for personal protection?

Please, the answer is more guns, of course.

I’m writing about this here, in our little corner of the site, because in the speech, Wayne LaPierre, executive vice-president of the NRA, cited violent video games as a contributing factor in tragedies like these. ”Guns don’t kill people.” he said. “Video games, the media and Obama’s budget kill people.” He even called out a few by name:

“There exists in this country, sadly, a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells and stows violence against its own people, through vicious, violent video games with names like “Bulletstorm,” “Grand Theft Auto,” “Mortal Kombat,” and “Splatterhouse.”

No form of media was spared however, as he also mentioned “bloodsoaked” movies and even violent music videos as influencing young minds. Because we’re still enjoying the gangster rap of the ’90s, after all.

The message here was clear, blame everything but guns. Why bother considering that violent video games are played in all corners of the world, yet somehow it’s only the US with its lax gun laws where tragedies like this happen with this frequency? Video games are an easy target, almost as easy as the NRA itself which is doing everything it can to act like they’re the solution to the problem, not one of the primary causes.

The press conference went from standard stump speech to truly bizarre when the NRA’s big idea to help protect children in school turned out to be a national program to enlist an army of volunteers to patrol the corridors of high schools, junior high and elementary schools, keeping the kids safe from potential shooters. A direct quote from LaPierre: “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”

He is literally suggesting that retired police and military members patrol schools with guns. The program would be nationwide, and schools could opt out of it, but that would be up to the faculty and the parents. You know, those freedom-haters who who WANT their children to be at risk.

It’s the transformation of our country into a police state, pure and simple, or at least a very broad first step. So fine, you somehow manage to find enough competent, mentally stable people to guard every school in the country five days a week for eight hours a day. But shouldn’t we do the same for college campuses? That would require a lot more manpower. How about daycares? Malls? How about anywhere where more than ten people gather at a time? As much as it might sound like a good idea to them to assign Jack Bauer to police each and every one of our vulnerable institutions, in practice, it’s unworkable, bordering on insane.

It was hard to believe this was being presented as a serious suggestion. By the end you were half expecting LaPierre to start talking about arming teachers or going all the way and letting kindergartners conceal carry. You know, for protection.

Past the blame on video games, which is at worst, a minor annoyance, this entire press conference was a direct affront to the victims of this tragedy, and all others like it. The unwillingness to admit that easy access to guns is a huge factor in events like this is just astonishing. I can understand pushback against weapons bans which may not be terribly effective, but there’s no need to run the other direction and start saying they need to turn our schools into something resembling military bases or prisons.

What an astonishing speech that was. How this organization has such massive influence in our government, I have no idea.

But hey, blame the games, blame the movies. But who will we blame when our society turns into something resembling a country forcefully occupied by its own gun-wielding citizens?

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I don’t know if you can understand this but Guns don’t kill people……people kill people. Even if they outright banned all guns PERIOD…… bad people that don’t care about laws would still have them….and no one can deny that as it is a well documented FACT. Look at Britain…..They banned guns almost 20 years ago and gun crimes now are HIGHER than when guns where legal.

The natural logic is that if people were armed, criminals and crazies would be less prone to do such horrific actions.

Why don’t go the police station guns ablazing? They may be crazy, but they aren’t stupid.

You speak as if no guns meant no murders. Just look at Brazil. Although guns aren’t prohibited, it is bureaucratic to get one. And still, the criminals are armed to the teeth, with “army exclusive” weapons and whatnot. The number of murders is several times bigger than the US.

Daddio is not suggesting that guns be placed in all public places. The difference is that schools, particularly elementary schools, should be deemed as “sacred” public entities. The fact that these lunatics choose such venues to carry out their madness only illustrates the need to protect them from future incidents.

Another difference is that we can choose NOT to bring our children to malls, or theatres, or wherever else people congregate. We HAVE to bring our kids to school, as they are necessary in the upbringing of our children.

Armed guards at schools are deterrent enough for the next madman to consider other choices. La Pierre’s comment on good guys with guns stopping bad guys with guns is spot on, IMHO.

I don’t believe in this dystopian future where everyone has to carry a gun in order to feel safe, because ultimately that’s where this goes. An arms race between criminals, crazies and the general public is good for no one.

I don’t think he ignores anything. Since regular folks don’t have machine guns, then why can they even get them? If there isn’t a demand for them… why is there supply?

He is responding to the suggestions of the NRA, which suggest we live in the wild wild west. Where everyone can be a rootin’ and tootin’ cowboy. That the only solution to gun violence, is an armed guard in which to inflict more gun violence.

“these mass murderers purposely select “gun free” sites at which to inflict their mayhem.” – this is a fact, since 1950, aside from one exception, every mass killing, of 3 of more people , has been in a gun free zone. I have also thought this is the same as putting a sign outside your house saying “I don’t have a security system or locks on my doors”, which is almost asking for trouble.

However, the NRA’s response only talked about armed guards in schools. Which, I am sure would drive down the shootings in schools, but at what point do we stop answering guns with more guns? Once all gun free zones are banned, these people will just target the place with the lowest possibilities of guns. Do we start putting armed guards on every block? Building? and room?

Armed guards can”t be the answer and is an incredibly naive suggestion from the NRA

If you have responsible, armed, people who could be anywhere (not restricted from gun free zones) then you increase the chance of someone being able to stop this kind of thing. As of now, these kids are at the mercy of whoever wants to come in to attack them. It wouldn’t matter if someone came in with a rifle, shotgun, sword, or knife. There is currently no one around that could stop them. Look at China, they’ve had several mass stabbings at schools. Unfortunately, whatever the cause, we have deranged people running around. First and foremost, we should plan to stop them when they show up at our most vulnerable places.

Did I say anywhere in my post that EVERYONE has to carry a gun? I’m just talking about SCHOOLS. You know, those places where little kids go to learn about stuff like science, history, and math?

How could a reasonable person infer from what I wrote that I in any way subscribe to this “dystopia” that you bring up? That’s because you are NOT a reasonable person, Paul. At least in this particular discussion.

People can’t get machine guns. Read up on the definition of a machine gun, and the National Firearms Act of 1934 (which all but outright banned them). Obviously, you aren’t a firearms person, but be careful not to ban everything that you aren’t into, especially when you’re uninformed about it. If I did that I’d ban pink hair, tattoos, motorcycles, fast cars, and raves. All things I’m not into, but it’s your right to be.

But my point is, this is where it starts. Then when a shooter goes on a rampage elsewhere, suddenly we need armed guards there too, and the next type of area, and the next. And just logistically, it’s not remotely possible to have armed guards at every school in the country, much less sprawling college campuses.